


Whispers from the Forest

by noimalive



Category: Raven Cycle - Maggie Stiefvater
Genre: College AU, F/M, M/M, Rivalry?, didnt meet before college, forest magic for everyone!, gansey is a dumb bitch i love him, inspiration from my school's dumbass secrets page
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-26
Updated: 2020-01-09
Packaged: 2021-02-26 05:54:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,946
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21978400
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/noimalive/pseuds/noimalive
Summary: Adam and Blue live in dorms across from each other and are unofficially competing to have the most ridiculous plants in their dorm windows. Gansey, whose mint plants are dying, enrolls both of them to help. The thing is, both Adam and Blue, unbeknownst to each other, have plant/forest magic and have to help Gansey (which they're lowkey competing to do) without revealing this. They also may have forgotten how to take care of plants non-magically...
Relationships: Adam Parrish & Blue Sargent, Noah Czerny & Richard Gansey III & Ronan Lynch & Adam Parrish & Blue Sargent, Richard Gansey III & Adam Parrish, Richard Gansey III & Ronan Lynch, Richard Gansey III/Blue Sargent, Ronan Lynch/Adam Parrish
Comments: 10
Kudos: 76





	1. Part 1

**Author's Note:**

> hey yall im here with this shitty au I thought of a while back (I posted the idea on henryandthegangsey). this was inspired by thinking about how everyone talks about Adam as the Plant Boy but Blue is literally half tree and no one discusses her tree vibes. So, here's a story where they both have plant powers! Also inspired by my college's stupid Secrets page on facebook. This is exactly the dumb shit that would happen on there.

Blue Sargent was born with magic. It wasn’t clear what kind at first, though. Her mother had her first prophetic dream when she was six, and at age seven, her cousin Orla had predicted that she would break her own arm. But Blue’s dreams remained normal and nothing appeared to her in a vision. Her entire family was psychic, and her father was a tree, or something like that anyway. So Blue’s normal-ness was not normal. For a while, she mourned her lack of magic. Being ordinary left her on the outside of her family. 

Over time though, Blue realized she was in fact very different, and had always been. One day, when she was twelve and taking a walk with Maura, Blue had pointed to a tree. “That one’s in a mood today, huh?” Maura had not understand, and it had taken a long conversation to straighten it all out. Apparently, not everyone heard whispers when they walked through a forest. It seemed Blue took after her father.

After that realization, Blue had explored her magic in the garden behind 300 Fox Way. With a brush of her hands, the tomatoes glowed brighter, the pumpkins swelled, and the zinnias perked up. Vines curled around her fingers and tulips popped through the soil. It wasn’t so much that Blue could talk to plants- it was that they communicated. 

So, of course, when she went to college, Blue brought a small garden with her. Her roommate, who had bought a tiny succulent, ceded the window to the lemon tree, massive spider plant, cacti, and orchids Blue had taken to the room. Now, she murmured to the wild tendrils climbing the sill as sunlight streamed in. But then, the blinds of the room across the way opened.

Blue definitely wasn’t competing with the boy who lived in that dorm. There’s no way he could even be on the same level as her; after all, she was the only one with powers or magic. It was just that he had an equally impressive array of plants in his dorm on move-in day, so Blue had to get the ivy. Then, he put that ridiculous rubber tree in his window, and Blue couldn’t let that slide. Maybe there was a bit of a competitive edge, but that wasn’t on her. 

When Blue came back from class, her roommate greeted her through a mouth full of chips. “Oh, did you see the post about you on the UniversitySecrets page?” Blue unfortunately had a Facebook, but rarely used it, due to the large number of racist uncles on it and her small number of friends.

Letting out a sigh, she opened her laptop and hunted for the post. Someone had said “Love watching the fierce garden competition happening in my dorm rn. But they’ve got fruit trees, meanwhile I can’t even take care of my mint plant :/” 

A comment below by an Adam Parrish said “Gansey I know this is you...pls let me help”. So this was her nemesis. He looked nice enough in his profile picture. Maybe they could start a garden club on campus and let all this go. Gansey - the apparent original poster- had just responded with a “:(“.

This interaction seemed to call for her involvement. Blue typed out “mint plants are the easiest to grow, dude. also its not a competition but im going to help you even better than Adam will...” 

She was mostly joking, but a second later, a notification popped up. “Gansey has created a group with you and Adam Parrish.” Well, now this was happening. Blue would give it her all.

\---

Adam Parrish was not born with magic. In fact, the dusty memories of his childhood seemed leached of magic and wonder, so that his life was almost abnormal by their absence. He did not play often with other children, however, so Adam hardly noticed the difference. And, he had never met a psychic, for that matter, and thus he didn’t know anyone with enough magic to be remarked upon.

He still wasn’t quite sure why he biked to the forest that day. Something there hummed to him, but Adam only heard the buzz of energy from those trees after that day. More likely, the simplicity and peace of the woods called to him. Adam was sixteen and he was tired. It really was no wonder he had wanted to sit in the shade of the ancient trees and feel the cool ground underneath him. 

The steady wind through the leaves and whistle of the branches had made his heart ache in longing. “I wish,” Adam Parrish had said, “to always feel like this. I would give anything.” He hadn’t been able to bear leaving the forest that night and returning to his noisy, but empty home. The warmth of a Henrietta summer day didn’t depart until he had already fallen asleep among the moss and fallen leaves. Adam had awoken hours later when the chill had long since set in and dew glistened on the foliage. Something else had awoken him- a whisper from deep in the forest.

Thoughts muddled with sleep, Adam had breathlessly wandered further into the trees, his path lit only by the moon and stars of a clear sky. But, the voice persisted at the same volume. It wasn’t saying words, per se, but it certainly communicated something. At last, as the sun began to rise, Adam realized two things. One, he was hopelessly lost. And two, the sound was consistent because it was all around him. The only thing everywhere in the forest was the trees, and thus the only logical conclusion was that it must be them he was hearing. Having grown up without magic and having survived with realism, this determination twisted Adam’s brain. So, he sat down on a root and listened. 

It turned out that the trees weren’t speaking a distinct language. Somehow, he could sense this thrum of energy and interpret it into their wants and needs. And, it wasn’t just trees, but any plant, from scrubby dandelions around the roadway to fancy tulips in the shop window. This is what he wished for. He just wasn’t certain what he had bargained away. 

It had been two years since then, and Adam had a lot of practice with his ability. Plants were nice, comforting company and a constant in his life. It made sense, of course, that he had brought some of his favorites to college. It wasn’t a conscious decision to start competing with the girl across from his window, no matter what Gansey, who lived in the dorm next to him, said. Her window sill garden was just so ridiculous, that Adam couldn’t help adding more to his own. There wasn’t even a competition, in the first place; it would be unfair to compete with his ability. 

If he was being honest, though, Adam did not want to work with this rival gardener. But, Gansey really did need help, and he wasn’t going to let her be the one to give it.

\---

Blue was not totally sure what she was doing or why she was doing it. Adam Parrish could handle some dying mint plant on his own. But, here she was, walking to some random person’s dorm, simply because he had mentioned her in a stupid post on Facebook. Blue didn’t want to imagine what Orla would say about all this. 

The dorm building was shaped like a U, with girls and boys in separate wings on each floor. Adam and Gansey lived on the same floor as her, but they had never met before. That wasn’t a surprise- Blue mostly kept to herself and didn’t have too many male friends. She had only crossed over to the boys’ side on a few instances, and each time, the army green carpeting made her shudder. The decor was baby blue on her side, and even though she wasn’t certain about the gender equality of it all, Blue couldn’t complain. 

Blue knocked sharply on the door with the room number Gansey had sent in the groupchat. They hadn’t said much in it, but someone had made the name of the chat an atrocious plant pun. After a few seconds, the door opened to reveal a boy wearing a violently salmon-colored polo. He was grinning. “You must be Blue! Excellent!” Blue was ushered into a dorm room as cramped as her own. Something about Gansey was different than what had been expressed from his profile picture. He was dressed like even more of a preppy rich boy, that was undeniable, but the picture hadn’t revealed the nice curve of his mouth or brightness of his eyes. Gansey was also wearing glasses, a discrepancy that had somehow made him unrecognizable at first. A boy was sitting on one of the beds, his legs crossed and his eyebrows knitted together.

“Adam,” Blue acknowledged. 

“Blue,” he said with a nod. Adam sighed, then said, “I can’t believe you have a lemon tree with actual lemons. That’s pretty hard to make happen.”

“I like the rubber tree,” she admitted. “Its foliage is so glossy, you must take really good care of it.”

“I guess your ivy is impressive, too. Not that it’s hard to grow, just keeping it from growing everywhere.” 

Gansey let out a chuckle. Blue really did not like the word ‘chuckle,’ but it was more than a laugh. It was a sound uniquely Gansey-ish. “See, I knew you two would get along.” Blue and Adam exchanged a look. She didn’t think grudgingly complimenting each other’s plants was a measure of friendship, and apparently, he did not think so either. “So you can let go of your differences and aid me with this tragic affair that demands our attention.” 

Blue tilted her head at the drama of it all. Adam mouthed “he’s always like this,” and Blue almost smiled. Then, Gansey revealed the plant in question, and Blue really did laugh. 

“Have you tried watering it? Like at all?” Blue asked.

“I think he’s overwatering it,” Adam asserted. She nearly glared at him, but reminded herself to keep things civil. After all, he didn’t have her magic- she was the only one who could know with absolute certainty what the problem was. Adam was only a talented gardener. 

“I’m just following the instructions from my research,” Gansey said desperately. “Clearly, it is not going well.” 

Blue started to ask just how extensive this research was, when she noticed the feathers. “Can I just point out the fact that there’s a crow in this room? Like, I know that’s not what we’re talking about right now, but is anyone else slightly concerned?”

Adam rolled his eyes at the same time that Gansey closed his, perhaps in exasperation. “It’s actually a raven, Corvus corax.” 

“I didn’t ask the scientific name. I just feel like this may be animal abuse.” 

“It’s my roommate’s bird. God knows where Ronan got it, but he does take good care of her. I’m actually surprised Ronan left her here, because she usually goes with him everywhere.”

Adam looked pained. “Her name is Chainsaw, and she didn’t shut up for the first month of school. I don’t think I slept more than an hour a night.” 

“Well now that’s cleared up-” Gansey started.

Blue brought a hand to her face. “Nothing is cleared up. I have so many more questions.” 

“Don’t we all,” Gansey said pleasantly. “But we must focus on the situation at hand. Perhaps we can go to Adam’s room, you have gardening supplies, right?” 

“Er, I don’t really have supplies, nothing special really.” Adam seemed concerned for a second, then cleared his throat. “But I might have some things that could help, I guess.” 

Adam unlocked his room, which was right next to Gansey’s. Immediately, Blue’s eyes were drawn to the garden. Afternoon light spilled through the shades, lending an almost magical quality to the plants nestled in the window sill. Adam was saying, “Not sure where Noah-my roommate- is right now, but you all can come in.”  
Blue scrunched her eyebrows in confusion. There was a boy lying on one of the beds, but Adam and Gansey’s eyes just skipped over him. Then, Adam said, “Oh, there you are, didn’t see you there before, Noah.” Blue didn’t have time to contemplate that mystery at the moment, though.

“Hey Gansey,” Noah said, then directed his light-eyed gaze on her. “Oh you’re that girl who lives across from us. Your cacti are kind of badass.” No one had ever called her gardening badass before, and Blue instantly liked him. 

“Have you seen Ronan lately?” Gansey asked Noah. “He left Chainsaw in the room.” 

“Well he’s not in class, that’s for sure.” Noah laughed. “What are you guys doing?”

“Trying to save Gansey’s sad mint plant.” Adam said, showing Noah the pot containing the limp plant. 

“Oh, so that’s why you’ve teamed up! I was wondering what Adam was doing with his rival.” 

Blue narrowed his eyes at Adam. “I never said she’s my rival!” Adam protested. “We just both like to garden. Aggressively.” 

“Can we get over this Romeo and Juliet nonsense and just fix my poor plant!”

“Wait, which one of us is Romeo and which one of us is Juliet? I’m confused.” Blue interrupted.

“I wasn’t assigning characters, just thinking of the whole Capulet-Montague thing…”

“I think Gansey is Juliet and Romeo is his plant.” Noah added thoughtfully. “Because, like, the plant is dying and-”

“Thank you for your input, Noah. Can someone just tell me how often to water it?!” 

Adam had been quiet during all this. “I don’t think it’s the watering that’s the problem. Well that’s not the only problem at least. The soil is definitely not nutritious enough.” 

Blue nodded in agreement. “And it’s getting too much direct sunlight. That dries it out, which is why its soil seems so dry and you keep watering it.”  
“How do you even know all this?” Gansey asked, eyes wide. “I need to learn how to keep plants alive, not just what’s wrong with this one, you know?” 

Adam hesitated, looking conflicted. So that was why Blue blurted out without thinking, “I’ll do it!” 

\---

Adam had been thinking that Blue would be a nice friend to have, but instantly forgot all that when she agreed to help Gansey even more. She had obviously done it because Adam had hesitated and must’ve wanted to beat him, or whatever. But Adam had hesitated with good reason. When Gansey had suggested he might have gardening supplies, Adam had first felt concerned. Of course he didn’t have gardening supplies- he didn’t need any fancy equipment. Adam could at least give Gansey advice on the mint plant; it was easy enough to articulate the specific needs of one plant. Plants in general though- that was a whole different problem. 

After discovering he could understand plants, over time, another facet of his ability had developed. Everything just became so intuitive that he had stopped thinking about the individual motions, but it was more than that. Plants had begun to bloom and grow with a single touch. By now, Adam relied on this to make his garden so brilliant. He didn’t use it too often, because the plants would spread out of control and the blossoms would become too other. Still, Adam depended on this ability enough that he barely watered his plants anymore, only once in a while in front of Noah to avoid suspicion. The simple fact of the matter was that Adam had forgotten how to care for plants without magic.

It wasn’t a conscious choice to hide his ability from people, but it was the logical one. It would sound crazy to claim he had magical powers over plants. He certainly was not going to explain this to Blue, who would then realize she was (nearly) evenly matched even without powers. 

Yet, there was no choice but to agree to help Gansey once Blue did. Adam had a feeling he would regret this. 

“I don’t have a lesson plan or anything.” Blue was saying. “But I guess we can look at the different types of plants and what they typically like?” Adam noticed she sounded at a loss, as though she too had forgotten the ways of gardening. Maybe they became second nature to every gardener, not just those who could sense the plants’ penchants. He also noticed that she said “like.” It was nice that other people anthropomorphized their plants. 

She looked toward Adam for some sort of help. “Uh, yeah, it’s good to do your research, but you’re already quite good at that…sometimes feeling the soil can really help…”

Gansey looked confused. “I have to feel...the soil…?” He stuck his index finger in the dirt of the mint plant. “It’s dry, like you said. Do I water it more, then?”

Blue’s mouth was tense. “Well, like Adam said, you don’t want to over-water it, which is what you have been doing. I think there might be some rot in the soil, so you should probably transplant it.” 

Adam realized Gansey was slowly typing this all in his phone. “Change the soil...okay, transplant it into what?”

“It’ll want something a bit bigger, but not too big, just a few more ounces.” Adam said automatically. 

“How do you know that?” Gansey said desperately. 

“The plastic is leaching into the soil, and a clay pot would be really good for it.” Blue added.

“Someone, please explain how you can even tell…”

“Well clay pots absorb moisture,” Adam said, thinking fast. “So it would actually be a better balance with your usual watering schedule. As for the pot size, that’s just the best thing for a mint plant of this age.” 

Gansey scrambled to record everything, as Adam exhaled. He had tried to rationalize what the plant communicated with bits of information he had heard before. Hopefully, Gansey wouldn’t think too hard about it. What Adam was curious about was Blue. He was impressed with her, but it was strange how she remarked on the exact same impressions of the plant he had felt. 

“You know, this still doesn’t help with the general side of things.” Gansey said, once he finished typing. 

“You know, you could be grateful,” Blue said. 

“True. We can pick this lesson up tomorrow? Ronan’s calling me, which is slightly concerning,” Gansey said, sounding distracted.

Blue frowned. “Some of us have work-” 

“And homework.” Adam finished. But Gansey was already on the phone and headed back to his room, and Blue didn’t object further. She waved goodbye and left. 

Adam had already finished the Results section of his lab report before realizing Gansey had forgotten his plant in the room. So much for his desperate attempts to save it. Adam, however, felt oddly committed to helping his friend. Noah had left the room an hour earlier, and it would be so easy to just fix it. 

At the exact moment Adam gently brushed the leaves with his fingertips and they perked up beneath his touch, he noticed the fluorescent lights of the hallway illuminated his room. Blue Sargent stood behind him, mouth open in shock. She had seen him.


	2. Part II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ok maybe this whole thing was about more than helping gansey with his mint plant. 
> 
> blue and adam have a conversation.

Part 2

Richard Campbell Gansey III had quickly realized that this had all been a very bad idea. He had just thought Adam and Blue would be a good couple, and it even seemed like Adam was crushing on her from a distance. Gansey had caught Adam watching her intently through his window, and when he had asked, Adam had admitted he thought she was pretty. So, Gansey had made the Facebook post on the UniversitySecrets page, because everyone knew that’s where the best drama happened and there would be a high chance of the mystery girl finding the post. To be fair, no one had directly tried to dissuade him from this very bad idea. Noah had only sighed and said, “You really think that’s going to work?” and Ronan had laughed too hard to get out any words. 

He really was concerned about his mint plant and definitely didn’t want it to die. Gansey’s father once told him that it was good to have a quirk; everyone liked people who were just a bit eccentric, as long as they weren’t different enough to make anyone uncomfortable. Helen Gansey flew helicopters and planned weddings. Mrs. Gansey collected glass plates. Richard Gansey II had a garage full of old cars and a journal full of facts about a particular day in spring. Gansey cataloged dead Welsh kings, but also was known to carry around mint leaves. This was his thing, and it really was quite a lot of work to buy a new plant every time his died. Still, the mint plant wasn’t his main motivation. 

The idea was to have Adam and Blue bond over gardening and also their exasperation over Gansey. But now, he realized this would not work. It seemed that while Adam and Blue had a budding camaraderie and might eventually leave their rivalry in the past, they would not be more than friends. As soon as they met, Gansey could see they had absolutely no chemistry. And, the other thing was, the moment she walked through his door, Gansey realized that he quite liked Blue Sargent.

He had only seen her once or twice before, and that was through the window. So, her attire, which appeared to include a skirt decorated with old newspapers and a headband composed of soda tabs, was a bit of a shock. The creativity of it struck him as something really truly eccentric- it didn’t matter whether it was too strange to be accepted by other people. Indeed, Blue did not seem to care much at all if other people liked her. He was deeply impressed. 

There was also something a bit magic about how she fit seamlessly into their group. As neighbors, Gansey and the other three boys had become friends quickly. It was true that Adam often had some grievance with Ronan and that Noah seemed to fade into the background when the whole affair of friendship became too chaotic for him. But, the four of them were like a puzzle, individually different, but clicking together all the same. Blue, of course, was the missing piece. Gansey only hoped she didn’t kill Ronan when they met. 

So now, if the whole thing was to work, the key would be balance. Gansey needed to make sure this whole plant situation would last as long as possible, without becoming too aggravating. He also didn’t want to seem useless. Everyone at college was good at academics and something else. In particular, his friends were uniquely brilliant. Noah could skateboard, a talent that made him effortlessly cool, despite hardly leaving the dorm. Adam could fix a car just by looking at it, fill his window with whimsical plants, generate genius solutions for any problem on command...well, Adam could do anything, really. Even Ronan, who had skipped more classes than he attended, had a knack for classical languages. Now, there was Blue, who fashioned her own clothing and grew fruit trees in her dorm. What could Gansey create on his own? There wasn’t really anything he had built in his life. He was smart, yes, but that wouldn’t have gotten him anywhere if he didn’t have money. 

Perhaps Gansey just tried too hard to be good at everything. Perhaps he could simply learn to garden. 

\---

Blue’s mouth formed the words before her brain had fully registered the sight before her. “You...have plant magic?” 

But Adam wasn’t listening, because he had already begun talking. “Blue! Didn’t expect to see you back here! I was just...adding some fertilizer to Gansey’s mint, I didn’t want to mention it before, you know, because it’s my secret formula, but you caught me!” 

“Adam, there’s no point in excuses. You have plant magic, too.” 

Slowly, he put down the plant. “Wait, what do you mean ‘too’? Don’t tell me both of us have the same abilities.”

“How else could I grow lemons in a dorm room? There’s not enough natural light for anything to survive there without magic!”

Adam exhaled. Blue could practically see his mind processing the situation. Then, he laughed. “I can’t believe I have a gardening rivalry with the only other person who has powers. I could’ve won against anyone else!” 

“Why do we even have a rivalry? We’re literally acting like white suburban moms.” They both dissolved into laughter. 

“You called it magic,” Adam said. “Why?”

“Well that’s what it is, isn’t it? I was raised in a family of psychics,” Blue explained. “I don’t have dreams or visions, like they do, but I could understand the trees. If what they do is magic, my ability is, too.” 

“I’ve never heard anyone talk about magic outside of fairy tales. I’ve just thought about it as a sort of skill. But I wasn’t born with it, like you.”

“You weren’t? What happened?” Blue knew her power was out of the ordinary among psychics, but she was only aware of magic as something inborn. 

“It’s a bit of a long story. Essentially, I made a bargain- or something like that- with the forest when I was sixteen.” 

Maura hadn’t taught Blue much about deals with the supernatural, only that they were dangerous. “A bargain?! For what?”

“Not sure. I guess I haven’t been asked to pay my side yet.”

Blue’s stomach turned. “You made an open-ended bargain! That’s seriously bad news.” Adam’s face darkened. She felt a bit guilty- it clearly wasn’t his intention to offer an unknown favor. Not everyone had grown up in this world, as she did. Not everyone knew of grim consequences and forces beyond your control. “Well, hope it was worth it, because there’s no way you’re beating the tomatoes I’m gonna grow in the spring!” She hoped to lighten the conversation and received a smile in return. 

“Okay, Pam, but you know my strawberry tart will win first place in the town’s annual bake-off, so don’t even try bringing your dry pumpkin pie!” 

“Karen, that’s cute, but maybe you should focus on how wilted your lawn is looking before you try growing any strawberries...” They shared a grin. “We would make such good suburban moms, just saying.” Blue’s heart swelled. It had only been one afternoon, but she felt like the boys she met today were already her friends. 

“You know, I’m pretty sure Gansey was trying to set us up.” Adam said. They looked at each other and laughed again. 

“It’s going to be hard trying to help with his plant. Especially since you completely fixed it.” 

Adam’s face reddened. “If I’m being honest, I have no clue how to help him without revealing everything.”

“I don’t know how to help at all!” Blue lowered her voice to a whisper. “I forget how plants work!” 

“We have to help him, though. He really needs it. Should I try to make the mint wilt again? I don’t know if I can, but what else can I do?”

“Just say the fertilizer thing. Gansey will believe it. There’s no reason he would think you’re lying.”

“That’s true.” Something caught Adam’s eye. “Huh. There’s soil spilled on the floor here. The windows are closed, so it wasn’t the wind. And none of the pots got knocked over.” Blue thought she saw fingerprints in the scattered dirt. 

“Adam, I think there’s something strange happening in this hall. All of those bizarre objects in Gansey’s room? The raven? And there’s something...wrong...with Noah. I’m no psychic, but I’ve learned enough that I can tell when energy isn’t quite right.”

“What do you mean? What do you think it is?” 

“I don’t know. But, I think we’ve got enough magic between us to figure it out.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry this was short! also not sure why the suburban mom convo happened. it just did. 
> 
> happy new year!


	3. Part III

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> no love triangles here, but gansey and ronan are Nervous

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks for all the comments!!! also I keep seeing plant boy Adam and I love it, but it reminds me that one reason I came up w this fic was that we need more plant girl Blue!!

A day later, Blue found herself letting Gansey into her dorm. Adam had arrived first, so they could talk more about how to handle both Gansey and the developing supernatural situation in the dorm. Blue suggested talking to Noah, but Adam had immediately rejected that, claiming it would scare him away. Ronan might be a better place to start, but might get suspicious if they handled it wrong. Adam had rolled his eyes after explaining this, clearly well-versed in Ronan’s tendencies. 

As for dealing with Gansey, they had both done extensive research so they could provide reasons for advice. Well, Adam had extensively researched. Blue had done enough googling that she felt comfortable BS-ing an answer. She had homework, after all. Adam also did, of course, but somehow he made time for this, too.

When Gansey entered, he seemed surprised that Adam and Blue had been talking without him. He could’ve also been surprised at the decor- Blue was aware her dorm walls held far more shredded newspaper than his. With raised eyebrows, he appraised the space over her bed. “This is interesting.”

“What’s interesting?” 

“This...tree.” Blue saw he was looking at the weeping willow she had constructed from melted wax. “I do wonder how the next inhabitant of the room will feel about it.” 

“Don’t get your khakis in a twist, it’s totally removable.” 

His gaze turned elsewhere. “Ah, the famous lemon tree!” He reached a hand towards its branches, and Blue quickly slapped it away.

“She’s delicate. And the lemons aren’t ready.” 

“Well, perhaps one day, with your fine tutelage, I will have my own.” 

“Unlikely,” Adam said. He offered the mint plant to Gansey. “You forgot this in my dorm.” 

“You fixed it! I wanted to learn how to do it…”

“If he had waited that long, it would be too late,” Blue said gravely.

“Oh well. You’ve seriously got a magic touch, Adam!” 

“I wish! Just a special fertilizer.” His eyes slid to Blue for approval of their planned excuse. “But Blue and I are still going to teach you.”

“Oh.” Gansey sounded almost disgruntled. “You two have been talking? That’s great.”

“So much for the competition, right? It can wait until we’ve helped you, at least.” Blue grinned. “Then me and you can team up against Adam.”

“I think Gansey’s just going to sabotage your efforts. Unintentionally, but still.”

“No way. I’m going to be an asset to this hypothetical team.” Gansey asserted, seeming a bit more like himself.

Adam and Blue proceeded to dump their combined knowledge on Gansey. Blue had to admit, Adam did a better job answering Gansey’s questions than her. She felt like he was directing more questions toward her, but maybe that was just a product of struggling to answer them. Blue didn’t really mind, though. He scrawled notes in a thick journal, stuffed with maps and newspaper clippings, and there was something satisfying about Gansey adding her words to its contents. Without thinking, Blue tore a leaf from her ivy. The surprise of the plant at this reverberated through her, but she promised herself (and the ivy? she had never been sure if that plants could understand her in return) she would heal it later. She offered it to Gansey. “You can press this into your book.” 

His fingertips brushed against hers as he accepted it. “That’s perfect.” He opened up a new page, near the back cover, revealing a few pressed flowers. 

“Look at that,” Blue murmured. “You already know how. You hardly need me at all.” Something about seeing this page of crumpled petals felt incredibly intimate. She was frozen in time, looking at the collection of things that made up Gansey.

The spell was broken when he laughed. “Of course I do. These flowers are all dead!” 

“Very true. Actually, I’ve been thinking about using all the flowers from the lemon tree- when they drop off, of course- for some project. We should do a big flower pressing session together-” Suddenly Blue realized how this all sounded, talking privately and making plans, when Adam, the one she was sharing a secret with, was right there. “-all three of us.” 

“You guys will have to teach me,” Adam confessed. “I’ve never done it before.”

“It’s easy, you just need-”

“Slow down there, Gansey. We’re teaching you today.” 

Gansey checked his phone. “Actually, I have to put this on hold, sorry. I have a meeting.” 

“Don’t forget your plant!” Blue grabbed the pot to hand to him, but Adam took it first.

“You probably shouldn’t bring this to your meeting. I’ll drop it off in your room.”

“Perfect, Ronan should be there to open the door. See you later, Blue!” The boys left her room together.

As soon as the door closed, Blue turned to her window. She pressed her thumb to the missing leaf, feeling the ivy hum as light green bud filled the gap. It wasn’t clear if the plants could sense her energy like she did theirs, but Blue believed they could understand her actions. She loved the little garden on her windowsill, as she loved the Green in the middle of the quad, as she loved the enormous gnarled tree beside her house. This small taste of the magic filled her with a longing for something more. Blue wondered if Adam felt the same. Perhaps whatever he yearned for, his something more, was fulfilled by the strange bargain he had made with the forest. 

Even though she had a magic of her own, Blue still felt separate from her family. What would it be like to be psychic, to connect with the whole world, with every forest and person who had walked in it? She could shuffle the cards, but she would never feel the pulse of energy through them. She could read the symbols, too, from many evening sitting between Maura, Calla, and Persephone as they practiced their craft.

Before her mind could wander further, Blue stopped herself. This was it! This was how they’d investigate the uncanny going-ons of the dorm. 

\---

Adam received a string of messages from Blue soon after he had returned to his room. They started with “okay I have a bad idea that could work” and ended with a message solely composed of exclamation marks. Rather than scrolling through them, Adam opted to call her. 

Blue picked up after one ring, with “So what do you think?”

“Hold on, I didn’t read the texts! It looked like it would be easier to explain on the phone.”

“It was a lot.” Blue agreed. “So here’s the gist of it. If we can’t get straight answers out of them by having a conversation, we do it another way. Psychics are better interrogators than lawyers- trust me, I grew up in a house full of them- because people will give up privacy if they think they’ll get something in return. We set up something simple with Ronan and Noah- or anyone else who might be involved. We get information. Boom.”

Adam felt like he was missing some major elements of this plan. “Roadblock: neither of us are psychic.” 

“Do you know how many successful fake psychics there are? There will always be skeptics, of course, but people are willing to believe more than they think they do. And everyone our age loves this stuff- it’s like accelerated astrology. I can do everything a psychic does, except the actual fortune telling part.”

Adam had never really believed in things like that, even after receiving his abilities. Maybe he had just never thought about it enough. “Okay, so you offer to read their cards or something. I don’t think Ronan will agree to anything like that- he’s a bit superstitious. Comes with being Catholic, I guess?”

“The more I learn about Ronan, the more questions I have.” Blue said. “Will he do it if Noah does? Gansey said they’re good friends.” 

“Maybe, I’ll ask them. I’ll let you know what happens.” Adam ended the call. Blue’s plan seemed like a stretch, but he didn’t have any better ideas. Typically, Adam was good with ideas. Something about the magical nature of their questions strained his mind and stifled his creativity. He hadn’t even truly accepted there was magic in the world prior to yesterday. 

So, he turned to Noah, who was in the dorm, just as he almost always was. “You remember Blue, right?”

“Of course! Plant girl!”

“Yea, plant girl. She’s actually also a psychic and was hoping to start getting clients, soon. Only thing is, she wants some more practice before she charges anyone. Do you think Blue could practice on you?” Adam hoped Blue would be okay with this setup. She hadn’t told him how to get them onboard. This was the best he could do on short notice. “I’m asking Ronan, too.” he added. 

“Really?! I didn’t get psychic vibes from her!” 

Adam wasn’t quite sure what to say to that. “Yea, her entire family is psychic. You must’ve missed the ...psychic vibes, I guess.” 

“That sounds fun. It’s just card stuff, right?” Adam could sense the anxiety in Noah’s tone. It would be difficult to ask any prying questions. 

“Yep, just tarot cards,” he said, hoping to sound casual. 

“I’m down, then. Good luck with Ronan, though…” 

Adam headed out of the room and knocked on the door to the right. 

“Here to take Gansey’s plant back?” Ronan said when he opened it. 

“Unfortunately, it will have to suffer more in his care.” Adam walked in the room without asking. Chainsaw squawked angrily as he came too close to her perch. “I’ve got a question for you.” It would be more difficult to secure Ronan in this plan, but Adam had a feeling they would need him. The strange objects that Blue had pointed out were his, after all. 

“You know the girl in the dorm across from mine? With all the plants?”

“Blue. Gansey’s only mentioned her like ten times.” Ronan snorted.

Adam was surprised Ronan already knew of her. “So I’ve been talking to her lately.” 

Ronan raised his eyebrows. “Really? Does Gansey know that?” 

“Yes, really.” Adam chose to ignore the second question and repeated what he had said to Noah about Blue being an aspiring psychic. 

Ronan didn’t speak for a moment. Then, he said sharply, “Doesn’t she have any friends of her own to bother?”

“Well-”

“And I suppose she’s already practiced with you?”

“No...she said it was best to practice with people she didn’t know too well.” 

“You must know her really well after one day, huh? And why can’t she ask me herself?” 

“Ronan, just tell me yes or no.” Adam sighed. This was exactly how he expected it to go. 

“No way. I’m not interested in her weird witchy bullshit.”

“Noah’s going to do it. He thinks it will be fun, you know.”

Ronan toyed with his headphones as he considered. Adam noticed they softly played a song without being connected to anything. That was completely possible now, right? It was just fancy technology, not magic. The notes were sharp and jarring, in a way that sent chills up Adam’s spine. It was not entirely unpleasant. Finally, Ronan said, “Okay. I’ll think about it.” 

That was good enough for Adam. He texted Blue: “they’re in!”

Blue met him in the stairway a few minutes later, where Adam explained the cover story he had devised. “I can’t believe this actually worked!” she said. 

“We still haven’t done anything yet. We have no idea if it’ll work.” 

“Shut up,” she said with a smile. “So one problem: I don’t have a set of tarot cards.” 

“That is a problem,” Adam agreed. “Were you expecting me to bring them?”

“No,” she sighed. “A psychic’s set of cards is really special. I never got a set.” she said softly. Blue pulled something from her bag. It was a lone card, the edges soft from use. “But, when I left for school, my mom gave me her Page of Cups. She always said it looked just like me, so her deck wouldn’t be complete without me beside her.” 

“That’s sweet.” But it didn’t solve their problem. 

“I was just thinking that lots of people have tarot cards. Nothing special, like my family’s, but they will do for a fake psychic.” 

Adam thought for a second. “I know who might have them.” He led Blue down the hall, then knocked on Henry Cheng’s door. 

A boy with precariously tall hair opened the door. “Adam Parrish!” He turned to Blue. “And?”

“Blue Sargent.” She shook his outreached hand. “What do you put in your hair to make it do...that? I’m jealous.”

Before Henry could explain his hair regimen, Adam intervened. “We’re actually here to borrow something. I thought you might have a pack of tarot cards?”

“What a funny request.” Henry said, but he proceeded to rummage through his desk for a while. “I happened to buy these for a party a few weeks ago, it was really fun! Are you hosting a party or something?” 

Blue opened her mouth to explain but Adam cut her off. “Nope, it’s just for a project. Thanks Henry!” 

“No problem. There might be some Uno cards mixed in there, too.” 

When they headed back down the hallway, Blue glared at Adam. “What was that all about?! He seemed nice, and it wouldn’t hurt to ask more people about what they’ve seen!” 

“Trust me, Henry doesn’t know anything about supernatural stuff. He would just be distracting if he was there. Besides, Ronan thinks he’s annoying and would probably leave.”

“Whatever.” Blue said. “But I was right.”

“About what?”

“About everyone wanting magic. Now, let’s go tell some fortunes with Uno cards!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry about being mean to Henry, that's just how it had to go. 
> 
> ronan was listening to an edgy acoustic version of murder squash song


End file.
